They Didn't Know It Yet
by Cymberline
Summary: *Marauder era* What Lily and James didn't know about each other before their 7th year at Hogwarts. *pure fluff*


**Lily Evans didn't know it yet, but she was all James Potter had dreamed of for seven years**.

James Potter groaned as the sun slid through the open window and the morning light cut through his dreams, which had been filled with soft red hair and green eyes. He rolled over and murmured "Lily?" sleepily but his arm collided with a body he wasn't expecting. Sirius kicked him and rolled over, grunting out, "Get that cup of tea away from me Prongs, you know I hate the stuff" James sighed, exasperated. It was still summer break and Lily was somewhere far away, enjoying some time with her family. He pointed his wand at the window and the curtains closed over it, blocking out the offensive sunshine. Sirius then began to snore loudly, and James longer for a softer, warmer body to be in bed with him, rather than that of his crazy best friend.

**Lily Evans didn't know it yet, but she was going to marry him one day. **

He lay in bed, smiling slightly at the ceiling. It was a childish thought- she had only just begun to acknowledge his existence, and he wanted to settle down in a nice cottage near the sea and have about seven children with her. But that's all he'd ever wanted from her really. He'd decided it after the first day on the train. Even though she had been hanging out with Snivellus, something about her had captivated him. Sirius liked to remind him he kept saying afterwards, "Her hair… it's just so red." With this gob smacked expression on his face. "You think her hairs red?" Sirius had scoffed, "Have you ever met Arthur Weasley? Now there's someone with red hair."

**Lily Evans didn't know it yet, but she was going to fall in love with him one day.**

He had been telling himself this since fourth year, when he had realised what his odd obsession with the girl had meant. He found himself constantly staring at her in class, at dinner, in the common room- everywhere. He had started staring at her whenever he could. In fifth year he started following Remus around on his prefect rounds, hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of her. He thought now to her almond shaped green eyes, and the way they flashed when she was angry and how much that made him smile. He loved making her angry. He couldn't explain to himself why. Maybe it was because it was so easy, and it made her so (for lack of a better word) cute. Or maybe it was because it was the only time she would look at him properly. He couldn't be sure of which.

In his heart of hearts, James Potter was sure of three things. One was that his friends would always be by his side, being the loyal and loving people they were. Whatever the future held for them, whatever darkness was coming, the four of them would face it together, as they had always faced everything together. Two, was that Hogwarts had offered him the truest home he would ever find. He loved his parents dearly, but it was Hogwarts that held his heart, and the Potter mansion had become no more than bricks and cement. It was where he had met Sirius, Remus and Peter. Hogwarts was where he had really learned to play Quidditch. It was where he had met Lily. And the third thing James Potter knew for sure in his heart of hearts was that he was irrationally, irrevocably in love with Lily Evans, and would be until the day he died. Even if it was doomed to fail. Even if she never loved him back. He would always love her.

**James Potter didn't know it yet, but Lily Evans spent the whole summer thinking of him.**

Lily lay wide awake in her bed and watched the sun rise over the horizon. She could hear Petunia in the bathroom, blow-drying her hair and fussing over her appearance. Lily couldn't get out of bed. She had had the most vivid dream. She and James Potter had been waltzing on the Quidditch pitch wearing fluffy pink bathrooms and cheese cauldrons on their feet and singing 'All Ye Merry Hippogriffs'. It was the most ridiculous dream she had ever had. And yet, despite the cheese cauldrons and the bathrobes, the only that that really stood out to her was his face. The long nose, the hazel eyes, that perpetually messy black hair. His soft, soft mouth. She shut her eyes against the thoughts and clutched her pillow. Just because she didn't hate him anymore didn't meant she needed to fall in love with that idiot. Hell, she didn't even like him. She was indifferent to him. With that consoling thought, Lily got out of bed and went to yell at Petunia to get out of the bathroom.

**James Potter didn't know it yet, but Lily Evans wrote him three letters over the summer that she never sent. The first she wrote a week after school finished**

_Potter,_

_If you've hexed me into this or something, I am going to tell Professor Dumbledore as soon as we get back to school and you'll be expelled! I keep having ridiculous dreams about you. They involve us waltzing around, wearing odd pieces of clothing and food, and none of it ever makes sense. Explain yourself, you trash-talking, Quidditch obsessed fool!_

_Evans._

The second she wrote mid-way through the summer holidays

_Dear Potter,_

_The dreams haven't stopped. It's driving me insane. I don't want to dream about your perfect peaches and cream skin and your perfect hazel eyes and your luscious black hair. I don't want to. I want you to get the hell out of my head. Crawl back out from under my skin, I can't take this anymore. I don't understand it at all._

_From,_

_Lily Evans_

The third she wrote in the middle of the night towards the end of the holidays out of sheer desperation. She couldn't sleep. Every time she shut her eyes she could see his face

_James,_

_I'm bewitched. I am ensnared, enthralled, engrossed and enraptured with you. I cannot stand it. I feel frenzied, panicked. My heart beats at a million beats a second whenever I think about you. I heard a boy say "James!" in the street today and I spun around hopefully, looking for you. I am completely and utterly drunk on you. I don't know what you've done to me, and I don't understand what to do with it. If this is love, then it's the most pain I've ever been in. I miss you._

_All my love,_

_Lily_

**James Potter didn't know it yet, but Lily Evans spent the beginning of 7****th**** year all a dither whenever he was around.**

She sat in the common room, already studying for NEWTS. She put her pencil through her bun as she rifled through her notes to check a particular piece of information,

"Hello Lily," Said Remus, smiling at her as he walked past.

She looked up and smiled back, "Hello Remus." She went back to her work then, frowning at the book as she realised part of her essay was wrong

"Evans," Said another voice. Her insides squirmed. They froze. They turned to lead. She looked up into the face of James Potter. He was handsome as always, artfully dishevelled, and smirking at her. She moved she shaking hands into her lap and managed to bite out

"Potter,"

He pointed to her Head Girl badge, "Congratulations,"

"You too," She countered, nodding to his badge, "You earned that,"

His face softened, "Thanks, Lily."

Her face flushed, "No problem, James,"

In her heart of hearts, Lily Evans was sure of three things. One was that she would never get over losing Severus Snape as a friend. The way her heart had broken when he had shot the word 'Mudblood' at her was something she'd never forget. He had been her best friend, and he had betrayed her. No pain in her life had ever been quite as bad as losing Sev, and she believed nothing ever would be. Two, was that her pride was her weakness, and she loved that James never minded that. That all through their seven years at Hogwarts, he had been calm in the face of her anger, given her a smile when she shot him a frown. He said all the right things at exactly the right time, and she was staring to think that she had never truly hated him. And three was that when she thought of her future, the only thing she could ever see was James Potter. She could see them living in a quiet little village, or maybe in a cottage by the sea. In her mind swam the faces of children- boys and girls with black hair and green eyes. She saw the faces of their children, who had taken the best of both of them. Lily Evans had always been unsure about what she really wanted. She, of course, had her dreams. She dreamed of falling in love, of meeting her destined one. But, she had never considered that he had been in front of her the whole time. Her dreams had never had any substance. They had always featured a faceless man, and faceless children, in a house empty of colour. But things had changed. Everything had its place now, and it was nice to understand why.

James Potter walked moodily up to the astronomy tower. He looked over the grounds, the wind ruffled his hair. They were two months into the term, and he and Lily were still only on friendly terms. He knew he should be happy that he could at least say terms were friendly, and he was. But it was impossible to sit with her, be in her presence, and not just want to hold her, to touch her hair, to press his lips against hers. He was beginning to understand that as wonderful as friendship was, he could never settle for being just her friend. He imagined them being just friends forever. He imagined going to her wedding in a few years time, and watching her marry someone else. He cringed as he thought of another boy kissing his Lily, living with his Lily, waking up every morning next to his Lily. The thought of that turned his stomach so badly that it set his resolve.

Lily Evans was starting moodily out the common room window. They were two months into the term, and she and James were only on friendly terms. It surprised her that they could even be friends. He was so interesting to talk to, so much deeper than she could ever have anticipated. She admired so much in him. She loved his loyalty, his sense of justice. She loved that he was always so brave, always the first to step in to protect her from the Slytherins. She loved that he made her laugh constantly and wildly. She loved that she forgot she was even Lily Evans, the muggle-born, responsible Head Girl when she was with him. Her stomach clenched when she thought of them only ever being able to be just friends. She thought of seeing him with another girl, and she clenched her fists so hard that her nails cut into her skin. She wanted him as her own, forever.

"Lily!" James stormed through the portrait hole, his eyes ablaze, "We need to talk!"

Lily jumped, "What's your problem, Potter?" the whole common room was staring at them

"My problem?! _You _are my problem!"

The shock at his words settled in and Lily's heart sank to somewhere near her toes. Her eyes filled with tears, "_Excuse_ me?" she spat out

"Lily, isn't it obvious?! I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since I first time I saw you. You sneered at me, and I knew you were the girl for me. You were protective, you were clever, you were brave. You were beautiful. You are _still_ beautiful, and clever, and brave and you always will be. This is the last time I am ever going to ask you to go out with me, so if you don't want me, say so now and I'll never bother you again. But I can't just be your friend. I can't sit by and watch you marry some two-bit idiot when the only person for you is me." He was breathing heavily, "We belong together, and you know it just as well as I do!"

Lily look down at her lap, her shoulders were shaking. James bit his lip. Perhaps he'd said too much?

"James Potter, how DARE you just march down here and yell that at me!"

"Lily, I…"

"No, don't interrupt me!" She yelled fiercely. She got to her feet and walked towards him, her shoulders and back straight, too full of emotion to keep her hands from shaking. She poked him in the chest as she yelled, "You don't know anything about what I want!"

"Well, then why the hell don't you just tell me?" He yelled back

They stared at each other in silence, Lily crying and James staring at her hopelessly. He made to say something, but then Lily reached out her hand and took his.

"Lily, what?" He asked, taken aback, staring down at their joined hands

Lily looked down, and whispered "I don't want to see you married to some two-bit idiot either."

He tilted her chin upwards, "So what does that mean then?" he whispered, his heart beating much too fast, rising with his hope. The whole common room was completely silent, watching them intently. Sirius stood gawking, the chocolate frog he had been eating on display for the world to see. Peter looked from Lily to James and then back again constantly. Remus was smiling his 'I knew it' smile, his hands clasped in his lap. Nothing stirred; it seemed that everyone had stopped breathing. The tension was palpable.

**James Potter didn't know it yet, but Lily Evans was about to kiss him.**


End file.
